It was a bit overcast and warm when doors opened early Friday afternoon, but that didn’t stop hundreds of fans from leaving work early or calling in sick and pouring into the sprawling beach-side venue early. Those who were first in the gates were treated to a warm, ukulele welcome by Vedder himself on the main stage as he played The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun.”

The moment was a sweet kick-off to the three-day extravaganza which features performances by country singer-songwriter Eric Church, songstress Norah Jones, Amos Lee, indie band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Liz Phair, Johnny Marr, Mumford & Sons, Beck, Young the Giant and many, many more.

Ohana Festival visitors take a photo at a designated “selfie” location during the 3rd annual event in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Sara and Dane Narbaitz, visiting Orange County from Seattle, applaud Amos Lee and his band during the annual Ohana Festival on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

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The War and Treaty’s Michael and Tanya Trotter perform on the Tiki Stage at the 3rd annual Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Eric Church performs at Ohana Festival at Doheny State Beach on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, in Dana Point, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

Eric Church performs at Ohana Festival at Doheny State Beach on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, in Dana Point, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

Country singer Nikki Lane performs at the Ohana Festival at Doheny State Beach on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

The White Buffalo performs on the Tiki Stage at the 3rd annual Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

The White Buffalo fans sing and dance along to the band’s set on the Tiki Stage at the annual Ohana Festival on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Eric Church closes out night one of the Ohana Festival at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Eric Church performs at Ohana Festival at Doheny State Beach on Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, in Dana Point, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

Norah Jones sits behind her piano while performing on night-one of the annual Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Nikki Lane, with her band, performs on the main stage during the first day of the three-day Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Country music star Eric Church headlines night one of the 3-day Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Amos Lee performs on the first of the 3-night Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Norah Jones and her band bring a more mellow side to the Ohana Festival during their performance on night one of the 3-day festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

The White Buffalo fans sing and dance along to the band’s set on the Tiki Stage at the annual Ohana Festival on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Nikki Lane, with her band, performs on the main stage during the first day of the three-day Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Amos Lee performs on the main stage during the first of the 3-night Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Michael Trotter, of The War and Treaty, performs on the Tiki Stage at the 3rd annual Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Amos Lee performs on the first of the 3-night Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Eric Church closes out night one of the Ohana Festival at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Ohana Festival guests fill the lawn at Doheny State Beach during the annual event on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Norah Jones and her band bring a more mellow side to the Ohana Festival during their performance on night one of the 3-day festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

The White Buffalo performs on the Tiki Stage at the 3rd annual Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Amos Lee performs on the main stage during the first of the 3-night Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Nikki Lane, with her band, performs on the main stage during the first day of the three-day Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Friends dance together on the lawn at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point during Amos Lee’s set at the 3rd annual Ohana Festival on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Amos Lee performs on the first of the 3-night Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Concertgoers at the 3rd annual Ohana Festival in Dana Point visit various vendor and food booths on the sand at Doheny State Beach on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Norah Jones sits behind her piano while performing on night-one of the annual Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Nikki Lane, with her band, performs on the main stage during the first day of the three-day Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Country music star Eric Church headlines night one of the 3-day Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Multi-colored light illuminate a row of palm trees at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point during the 3rd annual Ohana Festival on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Country music star Eric Church headlines night one of the 3-day Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

The War and Treaty’s Michael and Tanya Trotter perform on the Tiki Stage at the 3rd annual Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Eric Church closes out night one of the Ohana Festival at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Country singer Nikki Lane performs at the Ohana Festival at Doheny State Beach on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Michael Trotter, of The War and Treaty, performs on the Tiki Stage at the 3rd annual Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

The White Buffalo’s Jake Smith performs with his band during the 3rd annual Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

The War and Treaty’s Michael and Tanya Trotter perform on the Tiki Stage at the 3rd annual Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Nikki Lane, with her band, performs on the main stage during the first day of the three-day Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Concertgoers at the 3rd annual Ohana Festival in Dana Point visit various vendor and food booths on the sand at Doheny State Beach on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

The White Buffalo performs on the Tiki Stage at the 3rd annual Ohana Festival in Dana Point on Friday, September 28, 2018. (Photo By Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)

Attendance was light at the start on Friday with maybe 1,000 patrons being there on time to catch the sets on the main stage and the tiki side stage. Organizers expect that about 40,000 will turn out over the festival’s three days.

The music flowed seamlessly as the Pow Pow Family Band, Tim Curran, Kevin Devine and Dave Hause & The Mermaid entertained the crowd. More fans began arriving during the John Doe Folk Trio, led by X guitarist John Doe. Vedder popped out again with Doe and Dead Rock West singer Cindy Wasserman for a couple of songs, including a cover of X’s “The New World.” Doe prefaced the political song by saying “You can vote any … way you want, as long as you vote.”

The War and Treaty, made up of married couple Michael and Tanya Trotter, was an afternoon treat. Their soulful folk rock vibes matched the laid-back vibe of the beachy fest and Tanya’s powerful, gospel-style vocals were definitely attention getting.

Orange County’s own The White Buffalo took over the tiki stage and drew a crowd. Vocalist and guitarist Jake Smith is no stranger to playing on the beach. He hails from Huntington Beach and recently headlined an evening of the OC Parks Summer Concert Series at Salt Creek Beach in Dana Point.

Singer-songwriter Amos Lee delivered a fun and passionate set during his main stage turn. He was funny and personable, sharing stories before most of the songs, whether they were about his grandpa, grandma or a young girl he met who’s battling cancer. He sang his new song, “No More Darkness, No More Light,” which he wrote following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, earlier this year. “I’m hoping we can come together and do the right things more often,” he said before playing the song.

Songstress Norah Jones’ set came just after the sun disappeared, the stars came out and the palm trees scattered across the venue were lit up with multiple colors. Her sweet voice carried throughout the venue as she sat at the piano and breezed through songs like “Sunrise,” “What am I to You?,” “Cold, Cold Heart” and a brand new song, “It Was You.” Of course her cover of Jesse Harris’ “Don’t Know Why” was a big hit with the audience, which swayed and sang right along.

Now in its third year, the Ohana Fest is really beginning to mix genres and become more of an eclectic weekend of music. Church is the first mainstream country act to play the fest and judging by the audience response, he won’t be the last. By sunset the venue was packed with fans sprawled out on blankets in the grassy area, standing in the pit or taking a seat in the bleachers. As Church hit the stage fans quickly realized that they were in for something special.

Though there was a lot going on with stage props and such, Church came out solo with just a rack of guitars. Leaving his band behind, he played a more intimate acoustic set that included hits, fan requests and new music from his album, “Desperate Man,” which drops on Friday, Oct. 5. It was a pleasant surprise to get such a different type of performance from the arena-headlining star who just announced two nights for his 2019 Double Down Tour at Staples Center in Los Angeles, May 17 and 18, which go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 12 at AXS.com.

The set was definitely raw, as Church cursed and joked through tuning his guitars in between songs and there were times he may have forgotten a lyric or chord. The fans forgave him, especially since he was so willing to take hollered out requests.

He came out with his new single and album title track, “Desperate Man,” banging hard on his acoustic guitar. He got wild with “Mistress Named Music” which turned into a medley that included bits of songs such as Bob Seger’s “Like a Rock,” Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” Little Feat’s “Willin’” and Kenny Loggins’ “Danny’s Song.”

A few songs in and Church sipped his drink, took a hard look at the crowd through his signature aviators and said “I miss this, man I miss this a lot.” The loose format performance seemed to both refresh and frustrate him, but he took it all in stride. “Drink in My Hand” was perfect for a Friday night and this crowd was down with “Smoke a Little Smoke.” “I smell it,” Church said with a smile as the scent of weed filled the air.

He did “Mr. Misunderstood,” “Round Here Buzz,” “These Boots” and a fiery version of his tribute to the late Merle Haggard, “Pledge Allegiance to the Hag.” A fan requested “Give Me Back My Hometown” and he also played his single, “Record Year.” He skipped out on “Talladega,” reading his audience and doing “Jack Daniels” and “Sinners Like Me” instead. He played a few more new songs including “Heart Like a Wheel,” “Hippie Radio” and “Drowning Man.”

“Reluctantly I was watching the news today and I haven’t done this song in a long time, but it just felt right,” Church said before playing his 2015 single, “Kill a Word” which includes the lyrics “Cause you can’t unhear, you can’t unsay / But if it were up to me to change / I’d turn lies and hate to love and truth.”

Toward the end, the stage crew gave him the 10-minute countdown and Church jumped into action. He waved his hands over his guitars almost like he was casting a spell, trying to decide what to play. He closed the evening with “Springsteen” and let the crowd know “What a cool festival that Eddie and the guys have put on,” he said. “Anytime you want me back, I’ll come back.”

Kelli Skye Fadroski lives for entertainment. She’s worked at The Orange County Register since 2006 and has covered all things music, stand-up comedy, horror and more. When she’s not out reviewing a concert or interviewing some random famous person, she’s catching up on episodes of 'The Walking Dead,' somewhere sampling craft beer, enjoying Taco Tuesday or yelling at the contestants through the TV on 'Celebrity Name Game' for not knowing basic pop culture trivia. She’s also a diehard Detroit Lions fan.

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